I know you 56 guys have a hard time with the drip rail being rusted out. It looks like Dennis Carpenter now has a full steel roof skin for sale.
Roof Skin | Dennis Carpenter Ford Restoration Parts

$350
I'm sure shipping would be very expensive. Of course if you are going to a show they are going to be at, you generally can bypass shipping charges.

 

WOOHOOO!!! This is great news... I guess that I can stop bugging Pat Ford about this issue now.

 

I think $350 is pretty reasonable for a new DC part!

 

I was jus thinking.... Why do 56 trucks have the roof for problem more so than 53 to 55? Is it the overhang on the 56 models?

 

Not sure Abe. They seem to rot from the inside out so moisture gets up there some how.

Joe you are the man. I've spent more than $350 in old steel roofs already and I'm still having minor patch work to do.

 

I thought of you when I saw this and figured other 56 guys would appreciate knowing about it as well. Hopefully it is a good quality piece.

 

But it looks like it does not include the drip rails? Just the roof panel . . . which is good by itself but who sells the drip rails?

 

The original had 3 pieces the cab frame, drip rail, and roof. MidFifty 2017 catalog page 29 part number 97760 56 drip rail (3 pieces) $125.

 

The answer to the rust question is that the 56 cab/drip rail/roof joint is a flat lap seam that is spot welded together. The drip rail trough is then sealed to make the seam watertight. After 50+ years this sealant shrinks, dries out, and cracks leaving the roof-to-drip rail seam exposed to the elements. Add some crusty dirt and possibly some moss, the drip rail trough becomes a virtual swamp for moist, rust-generating grunge. In very short order this water will seep into the inner cab frame and brow over the windshield spreading it's rusty joy all over the area. Ford did not waste any $$$ on undercoating or primer in these areas so once the rust starts it moves fast. I believe that the 56 is more prone to this rot than the slant cabs because the drip rails are parallel to the ground and do not slope back like the slant cabs do.


Note: I just checked the DC show schedule...no shows West of IN throughout the rest of 2017. Seems like these panels all have to come through the West coast ports...would like to hijack a couple on their way East.

 

Smart money would be to hit up the Port of Long Beach for incoming shipments. Good luck. Might need to talk to a union rep.

 

I just talked with Mid-Fifty and they do not have any drip rails. The part that they show which is not in stock is the inner.

 

That blows. Their 2017 catalog sure looks like drip rails to me.



MidFifty 2017 Catalog

 

Did any of you get the roof panel? I am currently repairing the lower parts of my cab and planned to go to the roof next, but I may wait, if Mid Fifty is working on getting a "soffit" part made. I'll bet I need it all...

 

Greg,
I had my cab repaired by a hot rod shop. You did what they did started at the bottom and worked their way up. If I had it to do over I’d have the roof fixed FIRST. That way if you can’t get the roof right you don’t have all the bottom stuff completed. IMHO the roof is the hardest, costlyist, and most important part of the cab build.
I was going to, and may still, use the new steel roof from MidFifty or Dennis Carpenter but the cost almost doubles with shipping.

 

Are you going to super nationals or any show MidFifty attends? That will get rid of shipping costs. It's also an excuse to go to a show.

Just went to their website and they currently just list the 2017 shows. I would guess their 2018 schedule would be similar. The link to this is at the very bottom of the web page.
2017 F-100 Super Nationals: May 19th & 20th, Lebanon Tennessee
Pre-order by May 4th (April 20th for special order items)
***Please note, this show is only 2 days this year, rather than the usual 3.

2017 F-100 Western Nationals: June 17th, Anaheim California
Pre-order by June 9th (May 26th for special order items)

2017 North South Run: August 18th & 19th, Santa Maria California
Pre-order by August 11th (July 28th for special order items)

2017 F-100 Supernationals (#2): October 5th - 7th, Pigeon Forge Tennessee
Pre order by September 22nd (September 1st for special order items).